Intermittent film feeding means



P. F. SPERRY OR," an" Jim @2/ INVENT /wmowe f7 6 E II Original FiledOct. 29, 1938 INTERMITTENT FILM FEEDING MEANS June 30, 1942.

Patented June 30, 1942 UNITED ST TENT OFFICE Philmore F. Sperry,Chicago, 11]., assignor to Revere Camera Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Delaware Original application October 29, 1938, SerialNo.

Divided and this application August 2, 1940, Serial No. 349,397

3 Claims.

This application is being filed as a division of my co-pendingapplication, Serial No'. 237,667, filed October 29, 1938, which haslater matured into Letters Patent No. 2,214,185, granted September 10,1940.

The invention relates to intermittent film feeding means for use inconnection with moving picture cameras or other devices in which filmsare used and in connection with which it is necessary to give the filmintermittent movement for permitting the film to be held stationary forexposure, or for the passage of a beam of light therethrough forprojection purposes. It is the object of the invention to provide animproved form and arrangement of parts by which the film shall be givena smooth and easy movement, so as to cut down to a minimum wear and tearon the film.

In the arrangement by which I have accomplished my objects, an actuatingmember in the form of a frame having two arms standing at right anglesto each other is used, the detent by which the film is actuated beingmounted upon one of such arms, and the arrangement being such that thedetent is held very firmly in its operative position so as to worksmoothly with its co-operating parts. The power for moving the actuatingmember is applied to the other arm of the frame at a substantialdistance from the film and the shutter, the arrangement being such as toenable the shutter to be mounted to operate as close as possible to thefilm.

It is another object of this invention to improve devices of this typein sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by whichthe several objects have been attained are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in

which-- Fig. 1 is a side face view of a portion of the reel chamber of acamera embodying my improved construction with certain of the partsshown in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially at the line 22of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the actuating member by which power isapplied to a film;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially at the line4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a face view of the portion of the partition as shown in Fig.1, but with the co-operating parts removed;

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5, but showing my improved actuatingmember in position; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but including additional supportingand operating parts.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawing, in whichcorresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, H1indicates an interior partition of a camera casing, by which the chamberfor the film and its mounting reels (at the right in Fig. 2) isseparated from the chamber in which the motor and the greater portion ofthe operating mechanism is mounted (at the left in said Fig. 2). As bestshown in Fig. 4, the partition I0 is provided at its front edge with aheavy angular plate II, from which a heavy cross bar I2 is supported bymeans of a lug 13. Upon the bar 12, a short shaft I4 is rotatablymounted, provided with a shutter 15 on its front end for controlling thepassage of light into the camera, and with a gear H5 at its rear endmeshing with a gear I! carried by a shaft l8 which is driven by anysuitable means from the usual motor of the camera.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 5, the face of the partition I0 is cut outto provide a recess l9 having an upward extension 20 and a downwardextension 2|, the recess being of such size andshape as to receiveslidably in position therein the long arm 22 of my improved actuatingmember, such arm 22 being provided with an upwardly extending lug 23 anda downwardly extending lug 24 having a snug sliding fit in theextensions 20 and 2! of the recess [9. As is best shown by Figs. 2 and7, the heavy angle plate I l is cut out at its middle portion so as toprovide an opening lI--a in the form of a notch for permitting theactuating member to slide up and down in the recess 19, with the shorterarm 25 extending around the corner of the angle plate.

For operating the actuating member comprising the arms 22 and 25 aneccentric disk 26 is V mounted fixedly in position on the shaft l8engaging an oblong opening 2! in the longer arm 22, the arrangementbeing such that the actuating member is' reciprocated vertically uponrotary movement of shaft l8 and eccentric 26. The construction is suchthat the actuating member is given a simple, harmonic movement withcomparatively long slow motion periods at the top and at the bottom ofthe throw. For holding the actuating member firmly in position duringthis reciprocatory movement, I have provided a retaining plate 28 heldin position by screws 29, such plate having a large circular opening 30therein so as to permit the eccentric to have free movement withoutinterference.

In the arrangement shown, a film 3| is movable between a pivotallymounted member 32 which is located behind the film and a plate 33located in front of the film, the plate 33 being provided with anopening 34 therethrough for the passage of the light beam by whichexposure is efiected. The plate 33 is also provided with a verticallydisposed slot 35, through which a spring pawl or arm 35 extends intoengagement with successive openings 3'! in the film 3!, the pawl or armbeing mounted on the short arm 25 cf the actuating member. As is bestshown in Fig. 3, the pawl or arm 35 is made comparatively thin at 38, soas to adapt the lower end portion of the pawl to yield readily in aforward direction so as to be movable easily into and out of operativeengagement with the openings 37 of the film. The arrangement is suchthat when the angular actuating member comprising the arms 22 and 25 ismoved downwardlywthe pawl 36 engages one of the openings 2! in the filmso as to move the film downwardly; when thereafter the actuating memberis moved upwardly, the pawl 36 is easily and smoothly disengaged fromthe film and is moved into position for easy, smooth engagement with thenext adjacent higher'opening 31 of the film.

With the operating mechanism for givingthe actuating .member itsoperative movements all located adjacent to the arm 22 of .the actuatingmember, the shutter 15 is enabled to operate in very close proximity tothe film so. as to be very effective for shutting off the light from thefilm during the normal movement period of the film. With the actuatingmember in the form of an angle whose longer arm has snug slidingengagement with the partition plate ID and whose shorter arm isreciprocated along the front face of the plate 33, a very even movementof said actuating member is assured for moving the film with a minimumof wear on the openings 31.

While I prefer to employ the form and arrangement of parts as shown inthe drawing and as above described, it is to be understood that theinvention is not to be limited thereto except so far as the claims maybe so limited, it being, understood that changes might well be made inthe form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spiritof the invention.

I claim:

1. In a'mechanism of the type described, the combination of a frameplate, a second plate rigidly mounted at right angles to said'firstnamed plate and having an opening therein past which a .film maybe moved in face engagement with the second plate, an angular actuatingmember extending about the corner formed by said two plates with one armslidably mounted on the outer face of said first-named plate and withthe other arm extending substantially to the path of the film along thesecond plate, a retaining plate mounted on the outer face of saidfirst-named plate adapted in cooperation with said first-named plate toprovide a recess in which said one arm of said angular actuating memberis slidably mounted so as to be held firmly against angular movement inany direction with respect to said first-named plate, means located atthe outer face of said first-named plate in an opening in said retainingplate adapted by operative engagement with said one arm to reciprocatesaid actuating member, and yielding means carried by said actuatingmember in position to extend through said opening in the second plateadapted by engagement with openings in a film to give the film a step bystep movement along the face of the second plate.

2. In a mechanism of the type described, the combination of a frameplate, a second plate at right angles to said first-named plate and cutout at an intermediate portion vertically for providing a large notchadjacent to said first-named plate, one of said plates having its edgeportion turned at an angle and rigidly connected with the other plate, athin metal plate extending across saidnotch; on the inner face of saidsecond plate and having an exposure opening therein past which a filmmay be led, a pivotally mounted member for holding a film in engagementwith the face of said third plate, an angul'ar'actuating'memberextending about-the corner formed by said first-named plate andsaid third plate with one arm slidably mounted on the outer face of saidfirst-named plate and with the other arm extending substantially to thepath of the film along the third plate, means for holding said angularactuating-member in snug sliding engagement with said plate, meanslocated at the outer face of said first-named plate adapted byoperativeengagement-with saidone arm to reciprocate said actuatingmember, and yielding meanscarr-ied bysaid actuating member in positionto extend through a slot in said third plate adapted by engagement withopenings'in a film to give the film a step-by step movement along theface of said third plate.

3. In a mechanism of the type-described, the combination-of a frameplate having a recess in oneface with upwardly. and downwardly'directedextensions of the recess communicating therewith, a second plate rigidlymounted at right angles to said first-named plate and having an openingtherein past which afilm maybe moved in face engagement-with the secondplate, an

angular actuating member extending about the corner formed by said twoplates.- with one arm slidablymounted in said recess-and with the otherarm extending substantially to the path of the film along the secondplate, upwardly and downwardly extending lugs onsaid one .arm of theactuating member in snug. sliding/engagement with the upwardly and.downwardly directed extensions, a retaining plate mounted on saidfirst-named plate for holding said actuating member slidably in positionthereon, means located at the. outer faceof said first-named plateadapted by operative engagement with said one arm to reciprocate saidactuating member, and yieldinglmeanscarried by said actuating member inposition to extend through said opening in the second plate adapted byengagement with openings in a-film to give the film a step by stepmovement along the face of said second plate.

, PHILMORE F. .SPERRY.

